Crime Blog

Dallas man cleared in 1997 sexual assault of a child case

The Dallas County District Attorney’s office is asking that a man who pled guilty in 1997 to sexually assaulting a teenage girl be declared innocent of the crime, the man’s attorney said Monday.

Hilliard Fields pled guilty to the sexual assault and a drug charge in exchange for two 5-year sentences to be served concurrently. But evidence now shows that he did not commit the sex crime, his attorney Gary Udashen said.

“He pled to it and that was a mistake,” Udashen said. “He thought it wasn’t going to affect him.”

Fields, 39, has been out of prison for nine years but has had to register as a sex offender. If the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals agrees that Fields is innocent, he will no longer be a sex offender and will not be required to register.

“That’s his benefit,” Udashen said.

Udashen said that Fields will not be eligible for compensation for his time behind bars on the sex crime because he was serving the same amount of time the drug case.

Udashen said Fields is not challenging his drug conviction for possession of a controlled substance with the intent to deliver.

Fields declined to comment through Udashen.

There is no DNA in the case, but the girl’s mom has admitted she lied about her daughter having sex with Fields, Udashen said. The girl, who Udashen says was 13 or 14 at the time of the allegation, always denied any sexual contact.

The statute of limitations has long since expired for prosecuting anyone for perjury.

The identities of the girl and her mother were not disclosed.

Initially, the girl’s mother told authorities that she saw a diary entry by her daughter that mentioned the sexual relationship. But Udashen said she could never provide the diary for police.

Udashen said that a friend of the girl’s mother had been in a relationship with Fields and was angry with him. Udashen said the friend convinced to girl’s mother to tell authorities that Fields had sex with her daughter.

District Attorney Craig Watkins’ office did not respond to requests for comment about the case.

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Criminal justice reporters, editors and invited guests provide news and analysis impacting Dallas-area police, courts, fire and other public safety issues and entities. Readers are encouraged to join the conversation.